


Enemies Like These...

by orphan_account



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Cooperation, Enemies to Friends, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 10:03:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15265083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Ash is put into a life-threatening situation, Jessie, James, and Meowth have to choose between saving the twerp and continuing their lives as mediocre Pokemon thieves or allowing him to be done away with and achieving greatness. Guess which one they choose.





	1. Chaotic Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Pokemon belongs to Nintendo and the Pokemon Company.
> 
>  
> 
> A Brief Note:  
> Some shows do a really good job of making the villains more likable than the heroes, and I feel like the Pokemon anime is one of those shows. Unfortunately, even though the "villains" are adorable, they seldom get happy endings or even a break. I guess that's where fan fiction comes in. Enjoy my take on Rocket-shipping, or at least Rocket appreciation!
> 
> Leave a review if you like it!

Jessie, James, and Meowth surveyed the shrinking land from the approaching skyscape. They had been badly beaten, as usual, and it looks like they weren't any help to Ash after all.

Ash saw the trio speeding toward the horizon, almost like a shooting star. Initially, he was just happy they were okay. They had taken a direct hit from a hyper beam. Of course, Team Rocket seemed pretty resilient, so it didn't surprise him that much.  

 _I wonder if I should just let them go. They tried to help me this time, but they're pretty unreliable._  Ash thought as they continued to rise. 

Just then, he reached for his belt to call out one of his trusty Pokemon, and a sudden realization hit him.

 _I may need them after all._ Ash thought. As he saw them beginning to disappear into the horizon, he knew what he had to do. He enlarged a Poke Ball and threw it on the ground. 

"Looks like Team Rocket's..." the trio howled in unison.

"Not today! Greninja, use water pulse!" Ash yelled.

With amazing speed, the Pokemon leaped several stories into the air and shot a wave of water at the disappearing Rockets. 

Before the team could fade out of view, they were hit by a surge of water and redirected toward land. Ash saw, and heard, the three getting closer and closer. It looked like they were going to crash into him and his Pokemon.

"Greninja, grab 'em!" Ash commanded.

"Greninja!" the Pokemon yelled as it moved at lightning speed to intercept the falling trio.

Jessie, James, and Meowth suddenly felt themselves slow down. Meowth looked down and was suddenly aware of the blue blur that caught them.

"...not blasting off again?" Jessie and James said in a bewildered tone. 

'Hey, it's Greninja..." Meowth said.

"Ninja!" the Pokemon growled in response. Jessie and James tensed a bit from reflex. They had been on the wrong side of Ash's Pokemon's attacks far too often to really feel relaxed around them. Plus, they were still fragile and shaken up from that hyper beam attack. 

Before what happened fully registered, the trio found themselves back on the ground beside Ash.

"Nice of you to drop in!" Ash said with a laugh. 

Jessie, James, and Meowth pulled themselves up and looked at the powerful preteen with confusion, but he was too busy battling the opposing side to answer questions.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Jessie asked. Ash was too busy and far away to hear her, though. 

"Why didn't he?" Jessie and James asked each other. Neither one could give a good response. Normally Ash just let them "blast off" after they were defeated, even if they had agreed to work with him. The team eyed the giant dragon Pokemon and the masked villains Ash was facing with trepidation. 

Meowth resorted to asking one of Ash's Pokemon the reason for the unscheduled detour, but he was too busy as well.

"Meowth, Meowth...(so...why are we still here?)"

"Pika... (hold on; I'll try to answer you in a second!)"

Ash was suddenly blasted with some kind of energy ball. He fell to the ground and groaned.

"Jessie, get Wobuffet to counter attack!" Ash groaned. 

Jessie stared at him coldly. 

 _I know I agreed on a truce, but I'm under no further obligation to help him._ She thought. 

Pikachu dodged another falling boulder. 

"Jessie...please..." Ash groaned. 

Jessie looked at Ash struggling on the ground.

 _Could it really hurt, though? Besides, if those hyper beams keep landing, James and Meowth might be in danger, too._ Jessie thought.  

"Well, since you asked nicely this time..." Jessie said as she readied her Poke Ball. 

There really wasn't a lot of time to think of a better strategy or argue with the kid, so Jessie pulled out her trusty blue blob and had it jump in front of Pikachu and Greninja.

The Pokemon surrounded itself with a white barrier.

"Wobuufffeett!" the Pokemon yelled as it was hit with a hyper beam attack.

"James, have Mime Jr. use mimic!" Ash commanded.

James readied his Poke Ball and called out his little pink Pokemon.

"You heard him; get in there!" James said.

"Mime! Mime!" the Pokemon replied as it confidently floated up to Pikachu and Wobuffet.

Jessie and James slowly took a few steps back so that they could minimize their chances of getting hit by an attack.

"Okay, now, Pikachu, use electro ball attack!"

Pikachu's attack blocked the deadly hyper beam.

"Alright Rayquaza! You asked for it!" Ash said as he challenged the giant sky Pokemon.

At this point, Jessie and James had taken in their surroundings, and they were thoroughly embarrassed. As the smoke cleared, the familiar black and white uniforms came into view and the red "R's" were clearly visible. Whoever this opposing side was, they were members of their organization. Jessie and James continued to try to slip into the background. As the Rocket Pokemon saw their masters leave, they slowly walked away as well. 

"I hope the boss doesn't find out about this..." Jessie and James told each other as they continued to try to find some cave to duck into or some rock to hide behind.

Just then, they heard a loud thud. Ash and his Pokemon were hurled into a rock.

"Ha! ha! Rayquaza, finish him!" the masked man commanded.

The Team Rocket trio watched as the giant Pokemon hurled itself toward Ash and crashed into Greninja, knocking it out. Ash stood facing the monster with a worried look on his face and an anxious Pikachu on his shoulder. Rayquaza pulled itself back. 

"Alright, now hit him with a hyper beam attack!" the masked man commanded. 

Jessie, James, and Meowth watched anxiously for the blow to land. 

"Are dey tryin ta kill 'em?" Meowth asked. 

"I don't know..." Jessie replied with false apathy. Her eyes were wide with what might have been concern, and James wasn't hiding it well at all. The three Rockets closed their eyes and winced as if the blows were happening to them.  

"He'll make it out okay; I'm sure...something always happens to turn the tide in his favor..." Jessie whispered. 

Another crash sounded in the distance. 

"Are you sure?" Meowth asked. 

Another loud crash was heard and Ash was crying in pain. 

"Something serious is happening out there, Jessie!" James yelled.

"Big deal..." she said in a cool unconcerned tone that only carried hints of insincerity. 

Meowth hid his head and brought his claws out. 

"Look! We can't let anyting happen ta da twerp or his Pikachu, or we won't have anyting ta steal. I'm goin ta look at da damage!" Meowth shouted.  

With that, the cat Pokemon disappeared from his hiding place and started sprinting toward the battle site. 

Jessie and James looked at each other with understanding and gave a quick nod. 

"Usually we stay out of things like this..." Jessie whispered to James from the side. 

"I know, but...it looks like...if we don't help..." James whispered to Jessie from the side.  

"No one else will..." the two sighed in unison. 

"So much for being bad guys..." Jessie sighed as she readied her Poke Ball for the second time that day.  

Swiftly, James whistled to Mime Jr. and motioned to Ash lying motionless on the ground and the approaching Rayquaza. 

"Wobuffet, you too!" Jessie commanded as she called out her trusty blue blob. 

"Go help Meowth!" the two commanded. 

*****************************

Pikachu had its eyes closed and was bracing itself, waiting for the hyper beam attack. Suddenly, his whiskers felt a tickle, followed by a familiar earthy smell. The little mouse Pokemon opened its eyes to be greeted by Meowth's tail. 

 "Pikachu?" the mouse Pokemon asked. 

 "What does it look like we're doing?" Meowth said. 

 Just then, the hyper beam hit. Ash still had his eyes closed and he was expecting to get annihilated. He was surprised when he was only knocked back a little. Ash quickly opened his eyes to survey the damage. In front of him was that familiar blue blob and pink smudge. 

 "What? Wobuffet? Mime Jr.?" Ash asked. 

 Jessie and James stepped out of the shadows. 

 "Don't tell us you forgot about us already," James said. 

 "...and don't get used to it..." Jessie quipped defensively. 

"I thought you two already left..." Ash groaned weakly. It was somewhere between happy and annoyed, but his face was telling a different story. Jessie and James tried to keep themselves from smiling. Even though his voice didn't say as much, his, most likely unintentionally, warm expression said he was relieved to see them. 

"You thought wrong..." Jessie quipped in a sing-songy sarcastic tone. 

 Just then, Rayquaza sent out another hyper beam, knocking everyone back a few steps. 

 "Pikachu, use thunder!" Ash commanded weakly. 

 Meowth jumped behind Pikachu with his claws out. 

 "Mime Jr., use teeter dance!" James said. 

 The little pink Pokemon started dancing, its eyes glowing blue. Rayquaza stopped in its tracks briefly and watched, becoming mesmerized. 

 "Now, Pikachu, while it's distracted, thunder!" Ash commanded.  

 Following Ash's command, Pikachu unleashed a massive wave of electricity. Briefly, there was a flash of blinding white light as Pikachu's attack made contact. Everyone on Ash's team was waiting anxiously for the smoke to clear. 

 "Ha! ha! Rayquaza, tackle it out of existence!" the masked man ordered. 

The giant serpentine dragon Pokemon complied and hurled itself toward Pikachu. Meowth and the rest of the Rocket Pokemon stepped in front of it to protect Pikachu. In an act of daring, Meowth reached through the force field and delivered a strong fury swipes attack to the monster's face. The monster responded by body slamming the force field and knocking Wobuffet back. 

 Rayquaza growled at Meowth and the Rocket Pokemon. 

 "Meow! Why don't cha pick on someone your own size?" Meowth taunted. 

 The dragon Pokemon responded by body slamming the force field again. 

 Pikachu was really weak. It could barely hear its trainer's commands. 

 "Pik-a--chu..." Pikachu squeaked as its cheeks sparked in warning. 

 

________________________

As the battle continued to heat up, and it looked like Ash again had everything under control, Jessie and James slowly retreated to a safer vantage point, this time leaving their Pokemon to help defend Ash. James managed to find a nest of rocks with some yummy berry trees growing around it. Jessie and James sat down munching on a basket of berries as they continued to watch Ash and the opposing side duke it out. 

One of Pikachu's stray electric attacks missed its mark and hit a few members of the opposing side. They lit up like a Christmas tree and fell to the ground twitching and writhing in their smoldering clothes. 

"Mmm...glad that's not us for a change..." James said through a mouthful of berries.  

"That hurt..." Jessie said through a mouthful of apple-sized blue berries. 

 Just then, a blood curdling Pokemon howl rang through the field. Pikachu was down. Rayquaza unleashed a powerful sky attack that knocked Pikachu backwards. Concerned for his pal, Ash pushed Wobuffet behind him and started running toward the dangerous fray of battling Pokemon, unconcerned for his safety. 

 "I don't see how he isn't dead by now..." James whispered to Jessie. 

 "Better him and not us?" Jessie quipped weakly, eyeing her partner. 

James had another look of concern on his face. 

"Look! We did all we could!" Jessie said sternly. 

 James cautiously emerged from his hiding place. Jessie followed him.  

 "Meowth and our other Pokemon are out there, too..." James said sternly as he inched his way forward.

 Jessie grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back with a jerk. 

 "Are you crazy? Let the twerp fight his own battles!" Jessie said. 

James calmly pushed her away. 

"Jessie, our Pokemon aren't going to be able to hold them off without getting commands from us! Plus, most of them look weak and need treatment. This is one of those times where we need to put the needs of others before our own; don't you understand that?" James asked, projecting all of the heroism he could muster into his voice and choosing words that matched it. 

 Jessie sighed and took his hand. 

 "If we do this, we do it together," Jessie said as she stared into James' intense eyes. Passion and determination were written all over his face cute little uncertain face.  

 "I hope you know this could be a suicide mission....in more ways than one. If the boss finds out about this..." James said in warning. 

 "I think that's better than the guilt of losing one of our Pokemon friends," Jessie said in a strangely tender tone. It almost sounded like she was getting read to cry. James quickly wiped a tear from his eye. 

 Jessie rolled her eyes, ignored the tear that fell to her own cheek, and took his hand as the two cautiously made their way much closer to the battle. 

 "Ahh!" Ash yelped as he again narrowly missed a hyper beam attack. The twelve year old coughed and brushed the dust out of his hair. 

 "It's no use! Pikachu's thunder attacks ain't strong enough ta defeat dat dragon!" Meowth said, weakly. Even though the Rocket Pokemon mostly stayed behind Wobuffet's barrier, they were really feeling drained.  Meowth stepped outside of the barrier briefly, to get a better view of what was going on. 

 "We have to do something," Ash said, his voice determined, and his eyes flashing with fiery passion. 

 "Pika...pika...pik..." 

"Pikachu's too weak to battle...and our team ain't doing much better..." Meowth informed Ash. 

 "...and the rest of my Pokemon are recovering at the Pokemon center...." Ash said weakly. 

 "In udder words, we're in trouble..."Meowth said as he sighed and put his head against Ash. 

Just then, Ash felt himself being pulled back. Meowth, Pikachu, and Ash landed behind Wobuffet with a thud. 

 "Did someone say "trouble?" Jessie asked. 

 "Let's take that trouble and make it double..." James chimed in. 

"Dis ain't da time fa da motto!" Meowth groaned. 

 Ash pulled himself up and tried to focus. He reached for his belt out of instinct before quickly remembering that, for the time being, Jessie and James were on his side. He wanted to respond with a remark of annoyance and order them to go somewhere or do something, but he was just too tired, beaten, and uncertain. 

 "Oh, hi..." Ash said weakly. 

 Jessie and James made an exasperated pose like they were about to fall on the ground. 

"Don't you "hi" us! Take this, and stop blubbering..." Jessie quipped as she held out a basket of berries. 

Ash took the basket out of their hands. It was full of Oran berries. 

"Thanks...." Ash said weakly. The preteen carefully offered one to Pikachu, Greninja, Meowth, and the other Rocket Pokemon. 

Jessie rolled her eyes. Meowth was standing next to Ash, and the berries were meant for him and the Rocket Pokemon, but maybe it wasn't a good time to point that out.

"All better?" Jessie asked with mock sympathy. 

Greninja got up carefully and stared at its surroundings. It blinked and rubbed its eyes to clear its head and then promptly collapsed again. Ash didn't respond. 

Jessie sighed. Greninja was one of Ash's strongest Pokemon. It wasn't in their best interest to have him unable to fight. 

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" Jessie said as she pulled out a spray bottle labeled "Max Potion." 

Ash took it and sprayed it on Greninja. Gradually, the water Pokemon recovered. 

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" James asked, thinking Jessie did mean to give Ash the berries. 

"I think I'm going to wait until this battle's over and everyone's safe..." Ash said. The boy was using the tone he usually used when he was annoyed with someone's unethical behavior. His eyes glared daggers into James, and the Rocket silently apologized for asking. 

It only took a few minutes for the potions and berries to work on the Pokemon and get them back into fighting condition. Ash stood up again with a determined grunt. 

"Pi-ka! (cue victory music!)" Pikachu said. 

"I wouldn't be so sure; we still got dat mean hungry dragon ta defeat..." Meowth said. 

"Pika-pi...Pikachu!" 

"Just watch you, Ash, and Greninja, eh?" Meowth said. 

"Mime...mime!" 

"Wobuffet!"

" _What_ about youse two?" Meowth asked, annoyed. 

"Pika...pika! (Wobuffet, protect Ash, and you, distract it!)" Pikachu said. 

"What about me?" Meowth asked. 

"Pika! (you, too!)" 

Jessie and James got behind Wobuffet and Ash.

"Great plans...I guess you don't need our commands, after all..." James said with a dejected look on his face. 

"Mime mime!" Mime Jr. said, mimicking James' frustration. 

 

***************************

"Pika!"

"Nin-ja!" 

Pikachu sat perched in full battle mode a top Greninja's head.

"Pika, pika, pi (aim a water attack at its mouth; I'll do the rest!)" 

"Ninja! (okay!)" 

Greninja, moving at lightning speed, climbed on top of Rayquaza. Before its handler even knew what was happening, it had the Rayquaza by the mouth. 

"Okay, Greninja, use water pulse!" Ash commanded. 

Greninja obeyed its master and shot a strong stream of water right into the monster's mouth. 

"Now, Pikachu!" Ash commanded. 

Pikachu didn't miss his cue and shot a thunder attack at the same time. The two attacks combined and hit Rayquaza at full force. 

"Again!" Ash said as he noticed the two attacks combined were doing considerable damage

The two Pokemon continued the combined water and electric attacks until the Rayquaza was on the ground, panting for air. 

"Rayquaza, get up you good for nothing!" the masked man screamed. 

The Pokemon groaned in response. 

"Forget it; it's over," Ash growled in his self-righteous tone. It actually didn't seem out of place for once. 

"That's what you think!" the man shouted as he pulled out a gun and clicked the safety. Ash quickly recalled Greninja. 

 ******************************

Ash looked at the gun, smiled nervously, and put his hands up. The smile faded as he looked at the stern glare of his attacker. 

"You win. Just let the Pokemon go free," Ash said. At that, the Rocket Pokemon scurried away, leaving Ash alone. Meowth took Pikachu by the hand. Normally it would have protested or shocked him, but he was too exhausted from fighting Rayquaza to even register what was happening. 

Jessie and James winced. This had to be one of the most embarrassingly anti-climatic things they'd ever witnessed. 

"You mean he takes out a Rayquaza, bests us on a regular basis, but gets nervous about a few bullets?" James asked. 

Just then, they heard familiar voices in the distance. 

"Don't tell me you two are just going to sit dere and do nothin!" Meowth yelped. 

The other Pokemon growled in agreement. 

"Da Rocket Pokemon feel sorry for Pikachu and Ash and don't want 'em ta get hurt!" Meowth said. 

Jessie and James sighed and looked at each other. 

"Are we really doing this?" Jessie asked; she looked sick. 

"If youse two don't do it, da Pokemon'll do it without youse!" Meowth said coldly. 

The other Pokemon growled in agreement. 

"Meowth, it's too much of a risk for all of you to go in alone..." James said. 

"They could catch you and enslave you," Jessie said. 

"What udder choice da we have? If dey do away wit da kid, Pikachu won't have a trainer, an we won't haf anyting worth stealing," Meowth said. 

Jessie looked at James; he gave a slight shrug. Jessie hung her head to hide little tears. Their Pokemon could be so ironically heroic.  

"We'll help you," Jessie finally said with a sigh. 

"Yay!" Meowth said, while jumping in the air, not hiding his enthusiasm. 

"We'll have to plan a sneak attack, though," James said. 

"Get one of our balloons ready," Jessie said. 

As Meowth walked away to do what was requested, Jessie and James were left alone to ponder the day's turn of events. 

"Ah, so much for that promotion..." Jessie and James said with a sigh as they pulled each other into an embrace. Just then, Meowth interrupted.  

"Will you shut your yaps? There'll be plenty of chances for dat some udder day," Meowth said, giving them a fury swipes attack to the face. 

"We said we'll do it," James said, whining at the end.

"Just let us get ready in peace!" Jessie said.  

 "We knew we could count on youse!" Meowth growled. 

The other Rocket Pokemon cheered in response. 

Pikachu started coming to, heard a little bit of their conversation, and remembered what happened with him, Rayquaza, the Rocket Pokemon, and that opposing team. Team Rocket's hideout was never a great place to be, but at least he wasn't in a cage. It was odd that they weren't still trying to catch him. They probably just forgot. 

 "Pika...pika..." Pikachu made what sounded like a disappointed sigh while the Rocket Pokemon were cheering for Jessie and James. After all of those failed kidnapping attempts and dirty tricks, it would take a lot more than a few one-off good deeds to change his opinion of them, but he was still happy that someone was willing to help, and he was willing to give them a chance to keep their part of the bargain. It didn't mean he trusted them, though, so he took the commotion as an opportunity to slip away and look for Ash. 

  __________________________

 

Jessie and James watched the man brandishing the weapon in front of Ash. 

"I guess this is where..." James whispered to Jessie as he readied a rose shaped weapon. 

 "We come in again..." Jessie whispered to James as she readied a rose shaped weapon. 

 Swiftly, the duo made their move... 

"Guess it's a good ting dey didn't blast us off," Meowth commented. 

Jessie and James shushed him. 

 


	2. Prepare for...Trouble?

Ash was trying to keep his cool, but the amount he was sweating was a dead give away that he was nervous. Who wouldn't be? There was a loaded gun inches away from his face, and Pikachu...Pikachu was no where to be found. It wasn't like Pikachu to run off, but he was exhausted from the earlier fight. Ash briefly considered that Jessie and James could have tried to steal him but tried to push the idea away.

 _Even they wouldn't be dumb enough to break a truce and side with the enemy, would they?_ Ash thought. 

Ash closed his eyes and thought for a moment. What was he trying to tell himself? Of course they would. This was Team Rocket, after all, the same people who had tried to steal Pikachu hundreds of times, the same people who used Pokemon for profit regardless of the cost, the same people, he was facing right now... 

Ash winced and teared up. 

 _Pikachu! Why did I ever trust them?_ Ash thought. Ash bit his lip and tried to hold back tears. It was all he could do to keep himself from losing it right there. 

 _You're probably halfway across town by now!_  Ash thought. 

Just then, his eye caught sight of something yellow. 

Ash looked in its direction with surprise. Pikachu poked its head out and put a digit of its paw over its lips, signaling Ash to be quiet. 

 _Ha! ha! Pikachu!_ Ash thought. The preteen's expression suddenly lightened. Ash closed his eyes and smiled. That man with the gun was about to get the shock of his life. 

A growl came from the man holding on to Ash. Suddenly, Ash heard a shot ring out right by his head, followed by maniacal laughter.

The preteen tried to hold it together, but his knees started shaking with fear. 

 _Those aren't tranquilizers._  Ash told himself.

"The boss wants me to kidnap you and steal your Pokemon, but the boss is a fool..." the man began with a raspy sounding voice.    

"I think I'm gong ta put an end to it right here and now..." the man continued as he shoved the gun against Ash's temples and undid the safety with a loud click.  

"PIKACHU!" the little mouse Pokemon yelled as it readied an attack. The man was enveloped in a yellow light as the electricity took hold. 

Something was wrong, though. After the sparks stopped flying, the man was still standing and laughing. Swiftly, he pressed a button, and a hidden cage appeared from the floor, trapping the electric mouse. 

Ash made another move in a split second while the man was distracted and went for his Poke Ball. It wasn't there. 

 _Greninja!_ Ash thought, realizing the Poke Ball at his side was gone. 

The man turned back around from his momentary distraction and squeezed Ash hard by the wrist. 

 _I'm done for..._ Ash thought as he made a hard gulp.

"One of your little friends?" the man asked. 

"It's not going to work this time..." the man growled as he reached for his gun. 

Ash knew he couldn't stand around and let him have his way. He had to do something. Quickly, he aimed a swift kick at the man's crotch. Ash winced from pain and pulled his leg back. The man just laughed. 

"I guess this Pokemon proof armor I invested in was a good choice," the man said with a maniacal laugh. He then readied his gun again. 

"Now, where were we?" the man said. 

"Oh yeah...I'm gonna kill you, and after that, I'm going to take the money, leave Team Rocket, join up with my real boss, and conquer this region...I know all of Team Rocket's secrets, and I'm sure someone would pay a pretty penny for 'em," the man said in a whisper, thinking no one except the boy was listening. 

"You caused quite a bit a trouble for everyone, kid," the man began as he readied the gun for another shot. 

Just then, something shaped like a flower went sailing through the air and landed on the ground. In an instant, the whole room was filled with smoke. 

Ash felt someone pull him away from the smokescreen, and then he heard clattering and clicking, like someone taking armor off. It all happened really quickly, though, maybe within the span of about two minutes. Ash could have made a run for it then, but the thought never crossed his mind. He was too mesmerized by what was happening and, even though he didn't have any Pokemon with him, he was used to standing his ground. 

A second round of smoke filled the air around the man. 

"I think you're the one who should prepare for trouble..." a familiar voice said. 

"...and while you're at it make it double..." 

"What are you clowns doing..." the man was cut off, muffled groans replacing his earlier question. 

"What we're doing, you'll soon know," Jessie said.

"mmmph...mmmph" the muffled groans continued. 

Ash heard suddenly a loud deep scream that made him wince. 

 _I don't think I want to know what's going on._ Ash thought. 

"That's for threatening the star of this show!" James said.

...and dere's plenty more where dat came from," Meowth said. 

When the smoke cleared, Ash saw the man gagged and tied to a post in only his underwear. He had several painful looking bruises on his body. 

"I'm going to let the boss know about this; you'll be punished!" the man shouted.

"The same boss you were threatening to betray five minutes ago?" James growled. 

James grabbed the man by the arm, hard. Ash heard a loud crack, and the man started crying.   

Ash winced again and studied the expressions on Jessie and James' faces. They looked serious, a lot more serious than he had ever seen them. It made his stomach queasy. 

 _I've gotta find a way out of here before they decide they're mad at_ me. Ash thought. The twelve year old listened to the Rockets arguing. Jessie and James were furious with the guy. He had never seen them so angry. They looked genuinely dangerous. Ash was uncomfortable but finally got the courage to start inching away slowly. 

"...how are you going ta even prove dis ever happened?" Meowth asked while brandishing glowing claws, primed and ready for a fury swipes attack. 

"Two rogue Team Rocket members and a talking Meowth broke in, somehow took out all of your backup forces, rescued a kid, and freed some Pokemon? Seems a little far fetched to me..." James said with an evil grin. 

"Besides, if you tell on us, we'll let them know that you were going to commit treason..." Jessie said sternly. 

"Yeah, and unlike youse, we got proof. It's all on da security footage we took from dese cameras...da boss don't like it when agents take matters into dere own hands," Meowth said. 

"Besides what we did was clearly self defense..." James said as he tossed the man his clothes. 

"...and in the interest of protecting the mission..." Jessie added. 

 "In fact, we're kind a wonderin if we should leave you be," Meowth said. 

"People like you, turning tail at the drop of a hat....this isn't a part-time commitment, you know!" Jessie growled and lifted the man by the collar. 

"I got a good mind ta call da boss right now and tell 'em what you were plannin," Meowth said. 

"You're lucky someone doesn't treat you to Team Rocket's other famous retirement plan..." James threatened. 

"Da one dat involves cement slippers, a water fall, and a school a Magikarp..." Meowth said.  

"It'll be your word against mine!" the man said. 

"No, weren't you listening? We told you already; we have proof..." James said.

**********************************************************************

Ash and Pikachu had slipped away while the Rockets were arguing. The preteen shuddered as he thought about the day's events. Left alone in a life threatening situation with no Pokemon? This was all too intense even for him. As usual, Ash focused on his goal to try to block out the things he didn't understand. 

"I've gotta find Graninja and get out of here..." Ash said in that determined irritated tone he used when he was really upset about some kind of injustice. 

"Pika pika..." Pikachu said in agreement. 

It didn't take long for Ash to find a cabinet with a familiar Poke Ball inside. Ash quickly grabbed it, enlarged it, and released what was inside. 

"Greninja!" the Pokemon yelled. 

Ash ran to hug the frog ninja Pokemon. The Pokemon briefly returned the gesture before returning to a more stoic pose. 

"Alright. Do you think you can battle?" Ash asked. 

"Nin-ja!" the Pokemon said with a nod. 

"Good, let's get out of here!" Ash said. 

"Pika, Pika pi!" Pikachu yelled as it pointed toward something in the corner of the cabinet. 

With almost no hesitation, Ash grabbed the box that was jammed in the corner. It was full of other Poke Balls. 

"Stolen Pokemon?" Ash asked. 

"Pika, pi pi!" Pikachu responded. 

Ash smiled, enlarged all of the Poke Balls, and released the Pokemon. Ash saw a Dragonite, a Dragonaire, a Milotic, and many others that must have been on Team Rocket's "rare and valuable" list. They growled at him in an unfriendly way and were covered in a strange grayish blue sheen. 

A normal looking Pigeot appeared in the crowd of stolen Pokemon and looked at Ash with a glance of fondness. Ash recognized it. 

"Pigeot? Who caught you?" Ash asked. 

"Pigeot!" the Pokemon said as it lowered its wings. 

Ash laughed. The day had suddenly gotten a lot better. Ash recalled the unfriendly looking gray and blue tinted Pokemon, put the Poke Balls in his backpack, and mounted Pigeot. 

"I guess I'll turn these guys in to Officer Jenny," Ash said. 

"Pika pika..." Pikachu shouted excitedly as it boarded the Pigeot. 

"Okay, Pigeot, use wing attack and get us out of here!" Ash commanded. 

The bird's wings glowed as it prepared a powerful attack that slashed through the walls of the hideout. Ash shielded Pikachu as they flew past the debris from the attack. Swiftly, Pigeot began its assent, and before Ash knew it, he was looking at the tree tops and almost touching the clouds. 

"Alright!" Ash yelled. 

"Pika!" Pikachu cooed. 

Ash breathed a sigh of relief and savored the fresh clean air and the earthy smell of the Pokemon's feathers. That terrifying encounter with Team Rocket was finally over. The good guys won, and the story ended like it was supposed to. Just then, a terrifying memory jolted Ash. 

"Wait. What about Rayquaza? It's still in the hands of Team Rocket!" Ash said, visibly horrified at the realization. 

"We've got to stop them!" Ash told his Pokemon. 

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu said, a worried look on its face. 

"What's the matter, Pikachu?" Ash asked. 

"Chaaa...pikachu..." Pikachu said. 

"You're tired, aren't you?" Ash asked. 

"Pika-chu..." Pikachu answered, yawning and rubbing its eyes. 

"Me too...I wonder if we even have enough energy to fight them off right now...ah, I should have caught it when I had the chance!" Ash said. 

"If Rayquaza falls into the hands of Team Rocket's leader...we're in trouble..." Ash said. 

"Pikachu," Pikachu said with a nod. 

"But...what if I find myself in the same..." Ash cut himself off and shuddered at the thought. 

Normally, the preteen wouldn't back down from a challenge like this, but he knew he at least had to go back and get his other Pokemon first. It might even be a good idea to recruit more trainers to help. 

"I certainly don't want a repeat of today's adventure..." Ash said in the low cautious voice he only used when he was afraid. 

"Pika, chu (it was scary!)" Pikachu said. 

Ash shivered again at the thought. 

"Rescued by  _them,"_ Ash let out an annoyed whine. 

"I guess I'm lucky I had something they wanted," Ash said. 

"Pika-chu (please stop talking about it),"

 

*************************************

 

Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth had finished threatening the guy who tried to shoot Ash. They felt like such misconduct shouldn't go unreported and actually called in an anonymous tip to the police; the cops would surely give the guy an easier time than their boss, after all. Of course, that meant it was time to leave. 

"Where'd the twerp run off to?" Jessie asked, while casually scanning the surroundings

The three explored the area to find quite a bit of damage. It was impressive, really. 

"What did we expect?" Jessie said in a disinterested tone. 

James looked at the room and observed the raided Poke Ball stores and the giant hole in the wall. 

"He wrecked the entire mission!" James said in an exasperated tone, whining at the end. 

"At least he's safe," Meowth said. 

"Mime mime!" Mime Jr. chimed in. 

"...and that means we still have a chance to catch Pikachu and all his other Pokemon, too!" Jessie said in a sing-songy voice. 

"...and we can bring the boy in too if the boss demands it..." James said giving a delighted squeal at the end. 

The trio sighed. 

"Well, let's go," Meowth said. 

"Looks like Team Rocket's flying off again!" the trio yelled as they made a bee line to their balloon, using the exit Ash conveniently carved earlier. 

Once the three were well above the tree tops, James caught Meowth staring aimlessly at the sky. 

"What's eating you, old chum?" James asked. 

"I was just thinking about that guy and the Rayquaza..." Meowth said. 

"Yeah, we should have taken it from him and gifted it to the boss when we had the chance..." James said. 

"Well, you win some and lose some, I guess..." Meowth said. 

"We seem to lose a lot more than we win..." James said. 

"I tank we won today..." Meowth said. 

"How do you figure?" James asked. 

"Just ask yourself. Didn't it feel good ta see dat look on da kid's face?" Meowth asked. 

"What look?" James asked. 

"Dat look a relief...dat look dat said 'man am I happy ta see youse guys..." Meowth said. 

"...and coming from the twerp no less..." Jessie quipped. 

"That was nice," James said with a sigh, "although, I'm not sure it was worth risking our jobs and life for..." 

"Seems like an expensive reward when you put it dat way," Meowth said. 

James sighed. 

"I think I understand what you're saying, though, and I agree, I like that idea, too," James said. 

Jessie, who had been more or less just listening to the conversation up until this point, chimed in. 

"...and what idea would that be, James?" Jessie asked. It was the tone Jessie used when she was accusing someone of some personal wrong, and it was a signal to James and Meowth to proceed softly. 

James wasn't going to let himself be intimidated, though, at least not tonight, not after everything else went so well. 

"Why, I like the idea of playing hero. I like it so much that maybe we should forget the crime thing for a while?" James asked. He knew he was going to get it for making such a suggestion, but he just had to see how Jessie would react. 

"No...way!" Jessie said, "in case you've forgotten, we are members of the illustrious Team Rocket...we're rotten to the core! The only reason the twerp got away this time was...was..." Jessie paused. Why had he gotten away this time? He was a sitting Psyduck. The only reason he had gotten away this time was because of _them_. The realization made her feel sick. Had they really gotten soft? 

"Yeah, I know, but you have ta admit...it would be nice ta flip da script once in a while..." Meowth said.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Jessie said, "I hope you two haven't gone soft. One day, we're going to rob the kid blind, and you know it! We can't even think about being his friends!" 

"I know, but can't you just imagine those boos and occasional screams of terror being replaced with cheers? Think about it. The only times we've been anywhere near effective were when we were helping other people," James said. 

"...or being told what to do like robots by people like Pierce or Dr. Zager," Jessie said.  

"...or really convincing Pokemon..." James added. 

"We just need more practice," Jessie said. 

"Guys, let's face it, I feel like we're in da wrong line a work..." Meowth said.

"Will you two just listen to yourselves?" Jessie asked. This time she was glaring at James and Meowth and making no attempt to hide her anger. 

"You have to admit that he has a point," James said, intentionally ignoring Jessie's anger. 

"We can't quit Team Rocket. It's like our family," Jessie said.

" _We're_ like a family. Team Rocket, the organization, is just a bunch of petty money hungry criminals if you haven't been paying attention," James said. 

"A bunch of petty money hungry criminals who gave us a place to stay when we were out on the streets, taught us almost every important skill we know, and helped give our lives purpose. Where's your sense of loyalty?" Jessie asked. 

"I don't know. I wonder how life would have been had we never joined Team Rocket," James asked. 

"That one's easy. You would have been forced to marry that terrible fiance, you would have remained a mangy street Meowth with no friends, and I probably would have died," Jessie said.

"Besides, we might have had our doubts before about how to leave, but apparently it's surprisingly easy. Remember that time our dues ran out?" James asked. 

"You can leave. I'm staying. I owe my life to Team Rocket, and that's one debt I'm going to try to pay," Jessie said, her voice breaking a little. 

"Dat's certainly a different tune den when you tried ta leave ta become a coordinator. Remember dat?" Meowth asked. 

"...and when _you_ left to work at Christopher's noodle restaurant, Meowth?" James asked. 

"Besides, things have changed since Unova, since Team Plasma, since we're actually on the boss's radar now. I doubt our names are going to just get lost in the paperwork, and, I'm sure we all know that Team Rocket has two famous retirement plans, at least rumor has it," Jessie said. 

"...and I don't wanna get da second one," Meowth said. 

"...and I'm a little too intimidated to fill out the paperwork to ask for the first one..." James said. 

"The boss would probably laugh us out of his office anyway. It's not like we've actually done enough to retire from Team Rocket," Jessie said. 

"I've heard that it's very rare anyway; it's more common for agents to get lost or killed," James said. 

"Let's give it a rest. We've got a twerp to capture and a Pikachu to steal, and that's just the way it is," Jessie said. 

Suddenly, one of Jessie's Poke Balls opened. 

"Wobuffet!" the blue blob of a Pokemon yelled while posing in a goofy salute. 

Jessie gave it an annoyed look, took out its Poke Ball, and pressed the return button. 

"No one said anything about you!" Jessie said as she recalled it.  

James smiled politely at the scene and then sighed. 

"Yes, I know, but..." James heaved a sigh again. 

"I wish it didn't haf ta be dat way," Meowth said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Cheer up! When we finally complete our mission, we'll have enough to buy our way out of Team Rocket and retire," Jessie said. 

"Yeah...I just wish it would happen sooner," James said. 

**Author's Note:**

> Right now, that's all, but I'm open to suggestions. Where do you want this story to go next?


End file.
